Supreme Court holds two cases

The Supreme Court of Virginia did not issue opinions today in two of the most closely watched cases from its February session – the attorney general’s contention that a judge lacked the authority to commute a the death penalty of Daryl Renard Atkins for what he viewed as prosecutorial misconduct and the argument of handicapped lottery players that Americans with Disability Act requires the Lottery Department to ensure that its outlets are accessible.

The court did hand down 17 opinions, a published order and five unpublished orders. The opinions included a unanimous decision that the Virginia Beach noise ordinance is unconstitutionally vague and the rejection of a challenge by an environmental group to the State Corporation Commission’s approval of a coal-fired power plant in
Southwest Virginia.